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Struggling Morris Brown College Takes Courses Online

By Dian Schaffhauser

05/04/09

Atlanta-based Morris Brown College is partnering with Education Online Services to convert courses currently offered only on campus to be offered online as well. In addition, Education Online is customizing new course offerings and an online student information and management system as well as supplying online tutoring services. The company is also providing the college with support in marketing, recruiting, enrollment, retention, and financial aid for students.

"Our new business plan for Morris Brown calls for 21st century approaches," said Stanly Pritchett, acting president of the college. "Repositioning MBC as a hybrid institution that offers both on-campus and online degrees is the approach best suited to meet this objective.... In addition to targeting recent high school graduates who prefer on-line degree programs, our global recruitment efforts will be directed toward adult learners who may have attended but never graduated college, especially former Morris Brown students who left school before realizing their goals of earning their degree," Pritchett said.

"Our target is to increase enrollment at Morris Brown to 1,000 on-campus students and 1,500 online students by 2014," said Ezell Brown, chairman of Education Online. "We are honored to partner with this historic, 128 year-old institution to ensure its growth and development over the next 100 years."

Morris Brown, which currently has about 240 students, has struggled in recent years, following financial difficulties that ended in its accreditation being revoked in 2002 under a previous president.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business for a number of publications. Contact her at dian@dischaffhauser.com.